Apparatus for thawing frozen ground, &amp;c.



No. 989,975. ,PATENTED JUNE 9, 1909.

o.. SCHWEIZER. 9

APPARATUS FOR THAWING FROZEN GROUND, &o

APPLICATION-FILED AUG.1,190L

NVE'N TOR 7H; wenn: Ps1-:Rs cu., wasn/Moron, n. c;

UNITED SATES PATENT OFFICE.,

CHARLES SCHWEIZER, OF MAPLEWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSICNOR TO AMERICAN HEATING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

APPARATUS FOR THAWING FROZEN GROUND, &c.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SCHWEIZER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maplewood, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Thawing Frozen Ground, &c. and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the-invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention consists in a device, employing either solid or liquid fuel, for heating or burning` the ground, as to excavate where the ground is frozen, and to soften concrete, or other pavement to be softened by heat in construction or repair, or to dry plant-beds and destroy insect or vegetable life there, previous to sowing or planting.

The invention consists, furthermore, in a device for heating the ground, as to repair or soften paving matter, in which materials requisite for such work may be heated before being applied; all substantially as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of my invention and Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Referring to these drawings, A indicates a casing, which has closed sides and top and is Open at the bottom. This casing has a lnnged lid a in its top, by which it may be entered from above, as to supply solid fuel, and registers a3 above, and a4 toward the bottom, for controllable admission of air. A frame holds hollow, open-ended, laterally-perforated grate-bars, which have offsets at the sides, at each end, whereby, when in position, they will be spaced apart to leave draftspaces between them g and this frame, with the bars, constituting a grate B, supplied with solid or liquid fuel in manner appropriate to either, is set into the casing with the open front ends of the bars appropriately opposite the register a4, its lower surface being low down in the casing, whereby the place of greatest heat will be near the object upon which the casing rests. The space or chamber below the grate opens into a iiue C, which may be horizontal, as shown, the flue connecting with a suitable chimney c. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. August 1, 1901.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Serial No. 70,541.

purpose of the flue is to extend the direct application of heat, without having to extend or enlarge the grate.

Connecting the lower ends of the chimney c with the heat-chambers containing the grates, and forming the top of flue C, are socallec distance-plates c2 adapted to Aconduct the heated products of combustion over the surface of the ground in close proximity thereto, to the chimney c. The under surface of the distance-plates may desirably be formed with corrugations, preferably transversely disposed to the direction of movement of the products of combustion, to throw them more readily into contact, or into proximity, with the surface of the ground to be heated.

Upon the distance-plates, between the casing and the chimney, may be set a receptacle for heating gravel, asphaltum, pitch, tar, or other mattei' desired to be used in a heated condition.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is z l. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an open-bottomed casing, a grate therein, a chimney, and a receptacle for heating material disposed between said casing and chimney, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an open-bottomed casing, a grate therein, a chimney, an open-bottomed flue connecting said casing and chimney and comprising a distance-plate, and a receptacle for heating materials constructed to be positioned on said distanceplate, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an open-bottomed casing, a grate therein, a chimney, an open-bottomed flue connecting said casing and chimney, and comprising a corrugated distance plate, and a receptacle for heating materials disposed on said distance-plate.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES SCHWEIZER.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER B. WILSON, CALVIN S. CARTER. 

